Halloween

A heavy blow for the American retail giant: the chain was forced to urgently remove an offensive children's clown costume and issue a public apology after facing backlash for its resemblance to racist caricatures. The immediate damage: a drop in stock and a $2.95 billion wipeout.

The Target chain stopped selling the "Circus Clown" costume after social media users criticized it, claiming it resembles racist caricatures. Target stated: "We are deeply sorry. The costume is offensive and should not have been sold at all."